Flat bed knitting machine

ABSTRACT

A flat bed knitting machine of the type in which needles are movable in tricks under the action of selector jacks, wherein the selector jacks have butts which operatively engage knitting, transfer and re-setting locks and wherein movement of the selector jacks is controlled by a patterning lock. The patterning butt of the selector jack is adjustable relative to the body of the selector jack. This adjustable patterning butt is in the form of a bridge element pivotably connected to the selector jack and movable between two end positions by a spring and an electrically operated device. Elements fixed to the patterning lock advance and return the selector jacks.

United States Patent 91 Hadam 51 Feb. 13, 1973 1 1 FLAT BED KNITTING MACHINE 1,795,235 3/1931 Ruinnet ..66/75 [75] Inventor: Wilhelm l-ladam, Reutlingen, Ger- FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS many 1,526,492 3/1968 France ..66/78 [73] Assrgnee: H. Stoll and Company, Stollweg, 1,163,052 9/1969 Great Britain ..66/75 Germany Primary Examiner-Ronald Feldbaum 22 F1 d. M I97 1 I e 4 l Att0mey-Larson, Taylor 8L Hinds [21] Appl. No.: 120,836

[57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data A flat bed knitting machine of the type in which needles are movable in tricks under the action of selector March 9, 1970 Germany ..P 2O 10 973.3 jacks, wherein the Selector jacks have butts which operatively engage knitting, transfer and re-setting if 5" 8: Egg locks and wherein movement of the selector jacks is d l controlled by a patterning lock. The patterning butt of l 1 1e catch- 7 154 A the selector jack is adjustable relative to the body of the selector jack. This adjustable patterning butt is in [56] References cued the form of a bridge element pivotably connected to UNITED STATES PATENTS the selector jack and movable between two end positrons by a spring and an electrically operated device. 1,718,295 6/1929 Kuhne ..66/75 Elements fixed to the patterning lock advance and 3,534,566 10/1970 Farmer et 211.... return the selector jacks, 3,605,448 9/1971 Ribler ..66/l54 A 3,620,047 1 1/1971 Paepre ..66/25 14 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures r I, 1 r 7 1 PATENTED FEB 13 I975 SHEET 3 OF 3 a a m E m N Z Z 3 2:22: 2 5:; Z Z :2:

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m m QWTIU FLAT BED KNITTING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

The invention relates to a flat bed knitting machine of the type having needle actuating jacks for controlling the needle movements, these needle actuating jacks being mounted in the needle tricks of the needle beds and controlled by selector jacks according to the desired pattern.

The object of the invention is to provide pattern locks and needle beds of a flat bed knitting machine such that the needles, during the stroke of the carriage of the machine, can be selected for every operating position and change in width of the knitting, utilizing electrical selector mechanisms, whereby all control possibilities existing in the case of a latch needle can be fully utilized.

In order to solve this problem, an arrangement has already been proposed, whereby electrically controllable delivery lock parts are provided for controlling the fixed patterning butts of selector jacks.

However, such known arrangements are not always as simplified as might be desirable and they are not suitable to all conditions. Thus, there exists a need for further, new and improved arrangements for selecting needles for various operating conditions of the knitting machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a new and improved arrangement for selecting needles in a flat bed knitting machine. In accordance with this purpose, the present invention relates to an arrangement for selecting needles which permits a simplification of the patterning lock and an even easier controllability of the needles.

The flatbed knitting machine according to the invention is characterized by the fact that every selector jack has patterning butts adjustable in relation to the body of the selector jack, either in or out of engagement with a fixed patterning lock part, whereby the patterning butts of selector jacks succeeding each other in the needle bed can be staggered, and whereby each patterning lock of the machine for each stage of the adjustable patterning butts and in front of each definite position of the needles, determined by the knitting locks or knitting and transfer locks for links/links machines, and resetting locks, has selector elements acting upon the adjustable patterning butts and controllable or operable electrically in the case of advance and delivery, in such a way that the pertinent needles can be made to engage with or disengage from the operating luck at definite positions upon passage through the lock. At the same time, pressure parts, advancing elements and fixed return elements have been disposed firmly to act on the adjustable selector jack butts each time in front of the patterning lock elements in the direction of the advance of the carriage, in the patterning lock of the machine carriage.

In accordance with the object of the application therefore, the selector jack patterning butts are movable to be controlled, while the advancing elements are attached firmly in the patterning lock. At the same time, it is also possible to disengage the nonoperating needles with the following drawing off elements of the. operating lock, which, in the case of the use of controllable, movable, advancing elements, is more difficult to accomplish. In the same manner, needles constituting tucking hooks can be withdrawn from the control of the following drawing off lock elements in the knitting lock. The patterning lock comprises all lock elements controlling the selector jacks; and all lock elements which control the needles, or in the present case the needle actuating jacks firmly coupled with the needles, are designated by the term operating lock". The operating lock is divided into knitting locks (or knitting and transfer locks for links/links machines) and into resetting locks.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the adjustable patterning butt of the selector jacks may be constructed as a bridge element being under the unilateral influence of a spring tension and swivelably mounted in the body of the selector jack, which bridge element preferably is of the same strength as the body of the selector jacks. This bridge element is constructed, for practical purposes, as a two-armed bridge, or lever, which is mounted with a central part shaped in the manner of the head of a joint and located in a recess in the body of the selector jacks in the manner of a seat of a joint. One arm of the bridge constitutes the adjustable patterning but and the other arm constitutes a magnet. A prestressing leaf spring can be clamped unilaterally in the recess of the selector jack, in the shape of a seat of a joint, such that it presses against the arm of the bridge element carrying the patterning butt, acting to urge the patterning butt into its patterning lock engaging position. The legs of the spring fit against the central part of the bridge element and are shaped as a head of the joint under the elastic centering force of the bridge element.

The arm of the bridge element constituting the magnet armature can be developed resiliently. For practical purposes, one can use as selector elements electromagnets energized according to the pattern, especially electro-magnets coupled with permanent magnets, socalled holding magnets, which are offered the resilient arm constituting the magnet armature.

With the present invention, each needle of the needle bed can be controlled according to the pattern with the assistance of electrically operated or controlled adjusting elements from the machine carriage and, to be sure, in every operating position, including their rest position, and both in the case of its driving out movement as well asin the case of its drawing off movement it can be disengaged from the needle controlling parts of the operating lock.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide in a flat bed knitting machine a new and improved arrangement for controlling needle movements.

It is another object of this invention to provide in a flat bed knitting machine a simplified arrangement for controlling needles in which movement of selector jacks is caused by the cooperation between parts fixed to the patterning lock which moves with the carriage and an adjustable part associated with the selector jacks.

Other objects and the advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description to follow, together with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

There follows a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, to be read together with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a cross section through a needle bed andthe lock parts of a carriage located above the said elements taken along the line I-I in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 shows a partial top view of the needle bed and a partial presentation of the parts of the knitting lock in a plane along line II-II in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show on an enlarged scale, a portion of a FIG. 1, showing the bridge element bearing the patterning butt of the selector jack, in two different positions, respectively. 7

FIG. is a schematic top view of a knitting lock and a re-setting lock, as well as the assigned patterning lock of the carriage of a flat bed knitting machine, into which the bridge elements of the selector jacks as well as the areas of action of the electro-magnetic selector elements have been inserted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:

In the drawings, like elements are designated by like numerals throughout the several views.

As the illustration in section of FIG. 1 shows, in the case of a flat bed knitting machine according to the invention, a needle actuating jack 13 has been mounted beside a latch needle 12 in every needle trick 11 of a needle bed 10. Jack 13 has been developed as an elastically pliable beam, which is supported by the bottom of the needle trick 11 with one end section 14 bent in the shape of a hairpin, and which is coupled positively but not integrally with needle 12 by its other end 15 constructed as the head of a joint. The jack 13 is provided with an operating butt 16 in the area of its greatest pliability, which butt normally engages with the channels of the operating lock. Le. a knitting lock (plus a transfer lock in the case of a links/links knitting machine) and a resetting lock, which are laterally limited by way of parts of the operating lock disposed on a lock plate 17 of the carriage. In the sectional view of FIG. 1 is shown part 36 of the knitting lock. The elastically pliable jack 13 is controlled by a slide 18 acting as a pressure element, which rests on the pliable center part of the jack 13 and is firmly coupled with a selector jack 20. Slide 18 at its front end is provided with a slanting surface 19, which can run up on a counter oblique surface located at the same level of a strip 21, which extends over the entire length of the needle bed 10 above the jacks 13. At the same time, as slide 18 and thus jack 13 are pressed downwards, the operating butt 16 of jack 13 is completely disengaged from the needle controlling parts of the operating lock. The slide 18 remains locked under strip 21 and thus jack 13 remains uncoupled until selector jack which is slidably mounted on two strips 22 and- 23 and coupled with the slide, is returned to the left, to its starting position, as shown in FIG. 1, releasing jack 13. This return movement occurs as return butt 24 engages a fixed part of the patterning lock, for example element 64 in FIG. 1. The selector jack 20 encircles one of strips 22 or 23 for a precise limitation of its stroke. This is important for the rear position ofthe selector jack.

Beside the fixed return butt 24, selector jack 20 has a patterning butt 26 which cooperates according to choice with fixed advancing parts, for example, advancing element 57 of the patterning lock of the machine carriage. This patterning butt 26 is provided at one end of an arm of a two-armed bridge element 28, the other arm of which ends in a magnet armature plate 29. This bridge element 28 is shown in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Bridge element 28, which has the same strength as selector jack 20, is provided at its center part with a projection 30 in the shape of the head of a joint, which can be laterally inserted into a recess 31 in the selector jack 20, which has the shape of a seat of a joint. A leaf spring 32 has also been achored in this recess 31, for which purpose one end section thereof has been bent U-shaped and has been inserted into recess 31 such that the two legs 33 and 34 of the leaf spring are placed between projection 30, which is in the manner of a head of a joint, and the edges of recess 31 of the selector jack 20, which is in the shape of the seat of a joint. This arrangement provides a resilient centering of the bridge element 28. The other free end of leaf spring 32 fits against the bottom side of the arm of bridge element 28 carrying the patterning butt 26 and, whereby the bridge element 28 is urged into a rest position, as shown in FIG. 4, in which patterning butt 26 protrudes from the needle trick into the area of the parts of the patterning lock and the arm of bridge element 28 bearing armature plate 29 strikes against the selector jack 20. Armature plate 29 of bridge element 28 is bent from the plane of the bridge 28 and the selector jack 20, and this plate 29 will be designed for practical purposes in such a way, in regard to its dimension, that it will be elastic.

As can be seen partly from FIG. 1, the armature plates 29 of the bridge elements of selector jack 20 cooperate with selector magnets and holding magnets 35, which can be energized according to desired pattem and which have been attached exchangeably in the machine carriage at several select places. Corresponding to an arrangement of bridge elements 28 of adjoining selector jacks 20 displaced staggered in three steps, as can be seen in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5, three selector magnets 35 are provided at each selecting place in the machine carriage, each one for one of the three areas of selection A, B and C, which are shown in dash-dot lines in FIGS. 2 and 5. The selecting magnets 35 are permanent magnets and have an energizing winding which, during the flow therethrough of current either produces a counter field canceling out the permanent magnetic field, or increasing the effect of the permanent holding magnets so that a counter field canceling out the permanent magnetic field will be produced only through energization of the winding according to pattern in the reverse sense. The patterning butts 26 of the bridge elements 28 are acted upon by fixed pressure parts 51-56 of the patterning lock (FIGS. 2 and 5) of the machine carriage and thus bridge element 28 is shifted from its rest position shown in FIG. 4 into the position of FIG. 3 counter to the force. of leaf spring 32, whereby armature plates 29 are swung upwards and are offered to holding magnets 35.

FIG. 5 shows schematically a partial top view of the operating lock of the carriage with a knitting lock formed essentially by lock parts 36 to 38- inclusive of lock element 38 of the stitch cam and a resetting lock formed essentially by lock elements 43 to 49, inclusive of a part 43 of the drawing offlock.

All areas of the operating locks at which operating butts 16 of jacks 13, coupled with needles 12, stand directly before a movement into one of the various distinct needle positions, such as no knitting, tucking, knitting, loop sinking", loop transfer", loop acceptance, etc., have been cross-hatched in FIGS. 2 and 5 and marked at E, F, G, H, I, K, and L. Movements of the needles at these areas are controlled in accordance with the pattern and are either removed from coupling with the operating lock or are coupled with the operating'lock. The control of this coupling movement is accomplished by way of the patterning lock.

In the patterning lock fixed pressure parts 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 and 56 are disposed in three areas A, B and C which correspond to the three selection areas A, B and C of the patterning butts 26 in the direction of movement of the carriage indicated by an arrow 50, and one behind the other, bridge elements 28 of selector jacks 20 being moved by these parts into the position shown from FIG. 3. At this time, the armature plates 29 of bridge elements 28 are offered to the selector magnets 35 in areas A, B and C. Armature plates 29 offered to the selection areas A, B and C are held by the selector magnets 35 on the basis of their permanent magnetic field or the magnetic field amplified by the coil, in those sections D, which have been cross-hatched on a strip D in FIG. 5. Whenever armature plate 29 is held, patterning butts 26 then will remain in the position of FIG. 3, in which they are removed from the area of action of the advancing elements 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62 or 63 of the patterning lock, which elements follow pressure parts 51 to 56. If, however, the energizer windings of the selector magnets 35 are energized oppositely in sections D of face strip D, armature plates 29 held at these moments by the selector magnets 35 are repelled, so that the assigned patterning butt 26 is again swung by the force of leaf spring 32 into the position shown in FIG. 4 and is again brought into the area of control of one of the succeeding advancing elements 57 63 of the patterning lock, which brings about a longitudinal shifting of the selector jack 20 in the needle trick l1 and thus the uncoupling of operating butt 16 of the assigned jack 13 from the operating lock, described in connection with FIG. 1. The return to the left (with reference to FIG. 1) of those selector jacks 20 which were shifted by the advancing elements 57 63, is brought about by fixed return elements 64, 65, 66, 67 and 68 of a stripping lock, which cooperate with the return butts 24 of selector jacks 20. On the succeeding next pressure part 52 etc., all armature plates 29 will and, at this time, the assigned armature plates 29 of bridge elements 28 are offered to one of the three holding magnets 35 at the first place of selection. Just beagain be offered-then to the assigned selector magnets fore the arrival of operating butt 16 of that jacks 13 associated with the corresponding selector jacks 20 to the ascending knitting cam groove between lock elements 36 and 39 (section D the selector magnets 35 are counter energized by the control impulses given to their windings such that armature plates 29, located in this area, will again drop off and the assigned patterning butts 26 of the bridge elements will reach the area of control of the succeeding advancing element 57 of the patterning lock through which the corresponding selector jacks in the needle trick 11 are pushed forward. This means that the assigned needles are held in area B in their not knitting position as their operating butts 16 of their pertinent jacks 13 are uncoupled from the operating lock.

An uncoupling of the needles in needle position tucking will be achieved by further selector magnets similar to the magnets 35 and hence of the succeeding second selector place, which magnets can receive control impulses in the second section D from the left of the face strip D in FIG. 5, while the needles continue to guide the selector jacks passing this area of control into the knitting position whenever the magnets are not energized. In the middle of the knitting lock all selector jacks which were pushed forward according to the pattern are then pushed back into their starting position by fixed return element 64 of the patterning lock and, at this time, all armature plates 29 are again offered by the pressure parts 52 of the patterning lock to further succeeding selector magnets of the next selecting position, which magnets can receive control impulses in the next section D In order to put the nonoperating needles also outof contact with the stitch cam-lock element 38, the last mentioned further selector magnets will be energized in the third section D as seen from the left, and the advancing elements of the patterning lock move the selector jacks 20 of the selected needles forward, still in good timethese needles at this moment pass through below the lock elements 40 and 41- so that the butts 16 of the assigned jacks 13 cannot drop into the cam groove in area H. The same is also true for the needles which have picked up tucking loops and are again coupled to the operating lock in area G, as these needles are taken off along the lock element 38 of the stitch cam up into the area H, whereat they are uncoupled again, so that the tucking loop will lie in the needle hook with slight tension.

After leaving the knitting lock, all advanced selector jacks are again returned into the starting position through a fixed return element of the patterning lock and all armature plates 29 are again offered by pressure parts 53 to the next following group of selector magnets for reselection concerning a take over of loops or a passing on of loops in the succeeding resetting lock. The operation of the advancing ele ments 61 to 63 is the same here as the operation of advancing elements 57 to 60. The return of the selector jacks is then accomplished each time by means of fixed return elements 66 to 68.

Although the application has been described in detail with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be apparent that numerous modifications and variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a flat bed knitting machine of the type having needles mounted in needle tricks, a selector jack mounted in each needle trick and operatively connected to the needle therein to move it within the trick, the selector jacks having operating butts, adapted to engagean operating lock of the machine carriage to determine needle movement, and a patterning lock for controlling movements of the selector jacks in accordance with a pattern, in turn determining the movement of the needles, the improvement comprising: a patterning butt mounted on each selector jack and adjustable in relation to the body of the selector jack into or out of engagement with elements fixed on the patterning lock for moving the patterning butts, each said adjustable patterning butt being in the form of a bridge element pivotably connected to its respective selector jack, and including-electrically operable means for acting on the adjustable patterning butts-as the patterning lock passes thereover.

2, The invention of claim l-in which the adjustable patterning butts of the selector jacks succeeding each other in the bed are staggered across the direction of travel of the patterning lock relative to the bed.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein, at each of a plurality of positions along the patterning lock corresponding to positions at which the needle must be controlled relative to the operating lock in accordance with the pattern, there is provided pressure part means for acting on the adjustable patterning butt to present the same to the said electrically operable means, such that operation of the electrically operable means, at that moment of presentation, determines whether or not the respective selector jacks will be operated to engage or disengage their respective operating butts with the operating lock,

4. The invention of claim 3, including jack advancing elements fixed on the patterning lock and movable therewith and arranged to engage those selector jacks not held by their respective electrically operable means, whereby the operating butts of those selector jacks are positioned to be uncoupled from the operating lock.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein the pressure part means is wide enough across the direction of travel of the patterning lock to hold down the patterning butt of the selector jacks at all positions of the latter within their respective tricks.

6, The invention of claim 5, including return elements fixed on the patterning lock and arranged to engage and return selector jacks which have been advanced by said advancing element.

7. The invention of claim I, said electrically operable means being a magnet.

8. The invention of claim 7, said bridge having two arms extending along the selector jack from said pivot connection, a first arm having a magnetic armature plate such that when the said first arm is raised it engages the armature plate and the second arm positioned such that when it is raised it is positioned to be engaged by the advancing element of the patterning lock, rocking of the bridge element about the said pivot connection causing one or the other of the said arms to be raised.

9. The invention of claim 8, including spring means urging the bridge element to normally raise the said second arm, and the magnet beingloperable to hold the first arm in a raised position to t us lower the second arm out of engagement with the advancing element of the patterning lock.

10. The invention of claim 9, wherein the connection of the bridge to the selector jack comprises a central element on the bridge element engaged in a recess in the top of the selector jack.

11. The invention of claim 10, wherein the spring means is a leaf spring clamped down unilaterally in the body of the said recess of the selector jack, said leaf spring pressing against the arm of the bridge element bearing the patterning butt to urge the patterning butt into its engaging position with the advancing element of the patterning lock, and wherein the legs of the spring fit against the central element of the bridge under elastic centering by the said head of the bridge element.

12. The invention of claim 11, wherein the arm constituting the magnet aperture is resilient.

13. The invention of claim 12, said magnets being electromagnets coupled with permanent magnets.

14. The invention of claim 1, including a strip running in the longitudinal direction of the needle bed and laterally encircled by each selector jack to limit the movement of 'the selector jacks within their respective tricks. 

1. In a flat bed knitting machine of the type having needles mounted in needle tricks, a selector jack mounted in each needle trick and operatively connected to the needle therein to move it within the trick, the selector jacks having operating butts, adapted to engage an operating lock of the machine carriage to determine needle movement, and a patterning lock for controlling movements of the selector jacks in accordance with a pattern, in turn determining the movement of the needles, the improvement comprising: a patterning butt mounted on each selector jack and adjustable in relation to the body of the selector jack into or out of engagement with elements fixed on the patterning lock for moving the patterning butts, each said adjustable patterning butt being in the form of a bridge element pivotably connected to its respective selector jack, and including electrically operable means for acting on the adjustable patterning butts as the patterning lock passes thereover.
 1. In a flat bed knitting machine of the type having needles mounted in needle tricks, a selector jack mounted in each needle trick and operatively connected to the needle therein to move it within the trick, the selector jacks having operating butts, adapted to engage an operating lock of the machine carriage to determine needle movement, and a patterning lock for controlling movements of the selector jacks in accordance with a pattern, in turn determining the movement of the needles, the improvement comprising: a patterning butt mounted on each selector jack and adjustable in relation to the body of the selector jack into or out of engagement with elements fixed on the patterning lock for moving the patterning butts, each said adjustable patterning butt being in the form of a bridge element pivotably connected to its respective selector jack, and including electrically operable means for acting on the adjustable patterning butts as the patterning lock passes thereover.
 2. The invention of claim 1 in which the adjustable patterning butts of the selector jacks succeeding each other in the bed are staggered across the direction of travel of the patterning lock relative to the bed.
 3. The invention of claim 1, wherein, at each of a plurality of positions along the patterning lock corresponding to positions at which the needle must be controlled relative to the operating lock in accordance with the pattern, there is provided pressure part means for acting on the adjustable patterning butt to present the same to the said electrically operable means, such that operation of the electrically operable means, at that moment of presentation, determines whether or not the respective selector jacks will be operated to engage or disengage their respective operating butts with the operating lock.
 4. The invention of claim 3, including jack advancing elements fixed on the patterning lock and movable therewith and arranged to engage those selector jacks not held by their respective electrically operable means, whereby the operating butts of those selector jacks are positioned to be uncoupled from the operating lock.
 5. The invention of claim 4 wherein the pressure part means is wide enough across the direction of travel of the patterning lock to hold down the patterning butt of the selector jacks at all positions of the latter within their respective tricks.
 6. The invention of claim 5, including return elements fixed on the patterning lock and arranged to engage and return selector jacks which have been advanced by said advaNcing element.
 7. The invention of claim 1, said electrically operable means being a magnet.
 8. The invention of claim 7, said bridge having two arms extending along the selector jack from said pivot connection, a first arm having a magnetic armature plate such that when the said first arm is raised it engages the armature plate and the second arm positioned such that when it is raised it is positioned to be engaged by the advancing element of the patterning lock, rocking of the bridge element about the said pivot connection causing one or the other of the said arms to be raised.
 9. The invention of claim 8, including spring means urging the bridge element to normally raise the said second arm, and the magnet being operable to hold the first arm in a raised position to thus lower the second arm out of engagement with the advancing element of the patterning lock.
 10. The invention of claim 9, wherein the connection of the bridge to the selector jack comprises a central element on the bridge element engaged in a recess in the top of the selector jack.
 11. The invention of claim 10, wherein the spring means is a leaf spring clamped down unilaterally in the body of the said recess of the selector jack, said leaf spring pressing against the arm of the bridge element bearing the patterning butt to urge the patterning butt into its engaging position with the advancing element of the patterning lock, and wherein the legs of the spring fit against the central element of the bridge under elastic centering by the said head of the bridge element.
 12. The invention of claim 11, wherein the arm constituting the magnet aperture is resilient.
 13. The invention of claim 12, said magnets being electromagnets coupled with permanent magnets. 